The so-called "loose fill", lightweight, generally expanded or foamed, particulate packaging and cushioning materials have enjoyed good success and ever-increasing application and usage. They are frequently foam plastic products; although natural materials are also utilized.
While not restricted thereto, the synthetic plastic foam particles employed are often prepared from polystyrene or various styrene polymers which are expanded into desired porous structure(s) and wanted particulate shape(s) by various techniques involving use of blowing agents for the purpose. Of the natural goods, vermiculite is also a fairly popular choice for the indicated purpose. This includes products from any of a number of micaceous minerals, (such as kerrite, maconite, etc.) which are hydrous silicates generally derived from the alteration of some kind of mica; and so-called because the scales thereof generally open up when heated to oftentimes produce relatively light weight and frequently long, somewhat worm-like forms. Even popcorn (generally treated against spoilage) finds widespread application for the indicated packaging and cushioning usages.
The synthetic, plastic forms of low-density, loose-fill packaging are widely known and employed. They vary in sizes and also have shapes ranging from relatively spherical particles to those that can be, in configuration, more or less: signoidal; worm-resembling; ring-structured; macaroni (straight or elbow)-like; unhulled peanut-appearing; star-shaped; and so forth. For most practical purposes, the styles that are not overly self-entangling or mutually too-tightly interlocking are preferred for obvious reasons of easier and more effective mobility and handleability. In the latter connection, some alleviation of the problem in handling self-entangling particles is sometimes expectable if and when the particles are conveyed in air entrainment through rather unusually large size ducts and other conveyance conduits.
Good illustration of attractive plastic loose-fill packaging materials is typically had in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,681,231; 3,167,600; 3,188,264; 3,400,037; 3,481,455; 3,723,237; 3,855,053; and 3,887,672. Commercial examples of such materials include those available under the trade-designations "PELASPAN" (Reg. TM) and "PELASPAN-PAC" (Reg. TM) from THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY of Midland, Mich. 48640 and "STYRAPOR" (Reg. TM) from BADISCHE ANILIN & SODA-FABRIK (i.e., "BASF") of Ludwigshaven am Rhine, Western Germany.
In broad generality, the apparent or bulk density of the loose-fill packaging materials employed ranges from about 1/5 to about 2 lbs/ft..sup.3 (ca. 3.2 to 32 kg/m.sup.3). Usually, however, materials with bulk densities exceeding about 1 or so lb/ft..sup.3 (ca. 16 kg/m.sup.3) are not of the greatest preferability or desirability for utilization.
The known art for utilization of loose-fill packaging materials is restricted to almost exclusive use of manual diverter valves to charge or fill holding hoppers or single loading stations. Use of product-diverting conventional fittings in assemblies for such purpose (including, but not limited to "TEE's", "ELL's", "Y's", etc.) is almost prohibited and literally impossible because of the continuous "plugging" and "jamming" propensity of the loose-fill material being attempted to be passed through headers or feed ducts with which such fittings are connected. Thus, the ordinary installations perforce require considerable head room in order to function.
Actually, the handling of these vexatious problems has not had satisfactory or proper treatment or solution.
Fairly appraised, nothing in prior art appears to realistically concern itself with nor teach or lead to an effective, efficient and extremely reliable means and technique for efficiently and satisfactorily handling and charging expanded, low-density, loose-fill packaging materials in the manner of design embodiment and beneficial functionality and operability in the way so crucially indigenous as in the present contribution to the art.